Mulethi (Licorice Root): Benefits, Ayurvedic Uses, Side Effects & Healing Wisdom 

In my years of Ayurvedic practice, few herbs earn a place in almost every skin formulation I recommend, Yashtimadhu is one of them. Known across Indian households as Mulethi, and to the wider world as liquorice root, this unassuming sweet root has quietly shaped Ayurvedic skincare for centuries. If dullness, uneven tone or the first signs of ageing have started to concern you, this is often the first herb I turn to. In this guide, drawn from classical Ayurvedic understanding, I want to walk you through what Mulethi truly is, why it works, and how to bring it into your routine safely.

What Is Mulethi (liquorice  Root) in Ayurveda?

Mulethi is the everyday name for the dried root of Glycyrrhiza glabra, known in classical Ayurvedic texts as Yashtimadhu (यष्टिमधु). In Ayurveda, it is regarded not merely as a herb but as a Rasayana, a rejuvenative substance that nourishes the body's deeper tissues and slows the ordinary wear of time.

What draws me to Yashtimadhu is how completely the classical texts describe its action on the skin. The Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, one of Ayurveda's foundational compendiums, records this verse:

यष्टी हिमा गुरुः स्वाद्वी चक्षुष्या बलवर्णकृत् । 

सुस्निग्ध शुक्रला केश्या स्वर्या पित्तानिलास्त्रजित्॥ (Bh. Pr. Ni.)

In essence, it tells us Yashtimadhu is Sheeta (cooling) and Madhura (sweet), that it builds strength and enhances complexion, nourishes hair (Keshya) and voice (Swarya), and pacifies both Pitta and Vata, two of Ayurveda's three doshas, or constitutional energies. In one verse, our ancestors captured much of what modern skincare is still rediscovering: cooling, nourishing, complexion-enhancing action rooted in tissue nourishment rather than surface correction.

What Are the Ayurvedic Properties of Mulethi?

Ayurveda understands every substance through its Dravya Guna, its fundamental pharmacological identity. For Yashtimadhu, this reads almost like a checklist for skin health.

The cooling, unctuous, sweet nature is responsible for the effectiveness of Mulethi for any skin type issue driven by the Pitta Dosha, while the Guru (heavy) quality is why I recommend those that are Kapha dominant to use it in a regulated manner and not all together.

Why Is Mulethi One of Ayurveda's Best Herbs for Skin?

There are four different reasons that I keep going back to this herb. Varnya means complexion-enhancing, and Mulethi was listed as one of Charaka's own, his classical list of the highest complexion-enhancing herbs, Varnya Mahakashaya. It's also a Rasayana, a natural tonic that nourishes the tissues, rather than treating the surface, soiling, or shrinking the outer layers it's like Ayurveda's response to collagen support, slowly, over time. It soothes the burning heat within the body due to acne and redness and also pacifies Pitta directly, hence is soothing for those whose skin is affected by the sun. And since Yashtimadhu supports Rasa dhatu, which is the tissue layer that Ayurveda identifies as the most radiant and hydrating tissue in the body, its benefits are manifested as an inner glow. 

What Are the Benefits of Mulethi (liquorice Root)?

Combined, these mechanisms result in benefits I observe many times in my patients. It combats unbalanced skin tone, as it's classical Varnya action, thus resulting in healthier and more even skin tone, in accordance with the action it performs. It is also very good for the treatment of acne, because, by nourishing the Pitta Udanavasthas, it lessens the inflammation and redness which always accompanies PittaUda and that leads to acne. The Snigdha quality helps maintain skin moisture, and the Rasayana quality helps to keep up the elasticity even with ageing, which is very beneficial. From the ancient text it is indicated that the traditional uses of Mulethi are Kandughna (anti-itching) and Vranaropana (wound-healing) properties which is why I use it for patients with itching, skin which takes so long to heal and slightly eczema which is not always cured with regular treatments, and why it is so effective at calming the redness and irritation in wound-healing. It is used regularly as part of a planned program and not just to solve a specific problem. 

How Does Modern Research Explain Liquorice Root's Benefits?

The importance of this ancient knowledge should not be underestimated, it validates itself now. One of Mulethi's main constituents, glabridin is now a very popular ingredient in skin care formulations and for this reason has been used as a brightening agent, a UV protection agent, and a pigmentation control agent—actions that correspond exactly to the ones described in our texts years ago without the word glabridin applied to them. Contemporary research also confirms significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which help to explain the traditional Pitta-shamana (Pitta-pacifying) effect ascribed to this root and the barrier-supporting effect that fits in perfectly with Snigdha guna of Ayurveda. 

I find this convergence genuinely reassuring, not because Ayurveda needed modern validation, but because it shows how precisely our ancestors observed the body.

How Can You Use Mulethi for Healthy Skin?

There are a few rituals I recommend most often, each suited to a slightly different concern.

For any of these Mulethi uses, the quality of the powder matters more than people expect. I always recommend starting with a pure, classically prepared Yashtimadhu Churna; Maharishi Ayurveda's is milled from the root alone, without additives, which is what allows it to work as gently and consistently as the texts describe.

Explore More On:  Mulethi /Yastimadhu(Liquorice) -->

How Do You Prepare an Ayurvedic Mulethi Face Pack at Home?

To prepare the brightening Lepa, or face pack, mix one teaspoon of Mulethi powder with one teaspoon of sandalwood powder and enough rose water to form a smooth paste. Apply it evenly across clean skin and leave it on for fifteen minutes before rinsing with cool water. Used two to three times a week, this simple pack helps reduce pigmentation, brighten the complexion, and soothe inflamed or sensitive skin.

Who Can Benefit Most From Mulethi?

In my experience, mulethi suits Pitta-dominant skin, acne, redness, and sensitivity particularly well, along with dry and dull skin, hyperpigmentation, tanning, and the early signs of premature ageing.

Who Should Avoid or Use Mulethi With Caution?

I ask patients with a strong Kapha constitution to use it mindfully, since its heavy, unctuous nature can add to existing mucus or heaviness. Those managing hypertension should avoid high doses over the long term, and I always advise pregnant women to consult their practitioner before starting any new herb, Mulethi included.

What Is the Best Time to Take Mulethi?

I generally suggest Mulethi in the morning for detox and skin clarity, or at night with warm milk for deeper rejuvenation. Which you choose depends on whether you are addressing active concerns like dullness and acne, or working towards longer-term skin nourishment.

What Makes Mulethi Such a Unique Ayurvedic Herb?

A few things about this root still fascinate me, even after years of prescribing it. It is around fifty times sweeter than sugar, and yet it remains deeply medicinal rather than merely palatable. In classical practice, it is said that nine out of every ten Ayurvedic formulations include Mulethi in some form, valued for its harmonising effect on other herbs. Our texts classify it under three distinct categories at once, Jeevaneeya (life-promoting), Varnya (beautifying) and Rasayana (anti-ageing), a rare combination that few single herbs achieve. That range is, I think, exactly why it has held its place in Ayurvedic skincare for so many centuries, and why it continues to earn a place in modern formulations too.

Conclusion

Mulethi has never really needed reinvention, only rediscovery. Long before "brightening" and "barrier repair" became skincare vocabulary, Ayurveda had already named these qualities as Varnya and Snigdha guna, and built simple rituals around them that still hold up centuries later. A pure Yashtimadhu Churna and fifteen quiet minutes with a face pack is, in my experience, still one of the gentlest places to begin.